Thyroid Eye Disease
Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Why Seek Treatment?
Thyroid eye disease (TED) results in damage to the muscles and fatty tissue behind the eyes, causing swelling, pain, redness, double vision, watering or dryness, and bulging eyes (proptosis). Thyroid eye disease can be treated with a range of over-the-counter medications and prescription oral medications. However, IV therapy may be recommended for more severe cases.
What Causes Thyroid Eye Disease?
Thyroid eye disease, also commonly known as TED or Graves’ eye disease, is a disorder that causes inflammation in the fatty tissues and muscles behind the eye. It often develops as a secondary condition to Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease that leads to an enlarged thyroid. Sometimes, TED can develop in people with an overactive or underactive thyroid.
Other risk factors for developing thyroid eye disease include family history, smoking, and the presence of an autoimmune disease.
In people with TED, the immune system attacks the tissues behind the eyes. This can cause a series of complications, including:
- Bulging eyes (proptosis)
- Redness
- Dry or watery eyes
- Inflammation of the eyelids
- Pain behind the eyes or a feeling of “grittiness”
- Double vision or vision loss
- Difficulty closing the eye
In more extreme cases, thyroid eye disease may lead to blindness if not properly managed.
Treating Thyroid Eye Disease
Fortunately, there are treatments available to help manage the symptoms of TED. When patients present their symptoms to their doctor, they may undergo a series of tests to confirm a diagnosis. Tests may include:
- Eye ultrasound
- Blood tests to measure thyroid hormone levels
- CT scans of the eye
Individuals who are diagnosed with thyroid eye disease will be treated depending on the severity of their symptoms. Darkening glasses may be used to help with light sensitivity, while eye patches or corrective lenses can be used to combat double vision. In more severe cases, medications like corticosteroids (used to reduce swelling) are prescribed. Orbital decompression surgery may be necessary in extreme cases to reposition the eye and reduce bulging. This is performed when there is a significant risk of blindness or severe vision loss.
In more recent years, IV therapy has been used to treat the cause and symptoms of thyroid eye disease. Medication administered intravenously (through the vein) directly enters the bloodstream for faster results. TED patients have experienced a significant reduction of symptoms, including eye bulging, after a complete course of thyroid eye disease IV therapy.
How Do I Seek Treatment?
Are you looking for relief from symptoms of thyroid eye disease? InfuseAble Care offers a fastest-in-industry turnaround from referral to appointment. Thanks to our team of expert medical writers, we help patients get approved for thyroid eye disease IV therapy, even if they were previously denied.
If your doctor recommends IV therapy to treat TED, have them submit a referral form to InfuseAble Care. Our expert infusion nurses and comfortable amenities create an ideal treatment environment for TED patients.
Submitting A Referral
For Referring Providers
If you’d like to refer a TED patient to FlexCare Infusion Centers, complete a referral form and fax or email it to our intake team.
Have Questions?
If you have any questions about thyroid eye disease or infusion therapy, contact us directly. We look forward to helping you on your journey to better health.